The Mini-Judges v. The President Judge

PJ Michael J Koury, Jr.

If you ever wondered why so many people run for magisterial district judge, it's a pretty good gig. The salary is $93,338 this year, and it goes up every year with a cost-of living adjustment.  There's also a great benefits and pension package. You can even work another job. The only down side is that, from time-to-time, you pull a week of night duty. But that's not too bad. Cops must still let our mini-judges sleep between 11 pm and 7 am, unless there's a murder or some other horrific crime. Moreover, the County supplies our front-line jurists with free internet and a fax machine so they can arraign defendants from the comfort of their own home. But it appears that a majority of them now believe that since they are addressed as "Your Honor" and wear black robes, they must be hot stuff. So hot that they can ignore the President Judge. They just found out differently. Let me tell you the story.

Sometime last year, the press complained to President Judge Michael Koury Jr that it was having difficulty getting access to records on nights and weekends. Because the state constitution requires that all courts must be open, Judge Koury contracted with an answering service to field calls from members of the press or public. A telephone operator would note the name of the person seeking access, the records requested and fax number and email address. This information would in turn be relayed to the mini-judge, who could then respond. Each magisterial district judge was requested to provide his or her cell phone number, which would be provided to the answering service.

Magistrates responded, not with their cell numbers, but a refusal letter from Northampton County's Magisterial District Judges' Ass'n.  Alan Mege, President of this exclusive club, argued the press could wait for regular business hours. He added there's no reason to give the press "differential and preferential treatment."

This letter was not enough. In addition, three magisterial district judges complained to a court administrator.

Magisterial District Judge Jackie Taschner was at least professionally defiant: "With all due respect, I will not provide you with this information. I cannot imagine that the President Judge can require me to provide personal contact information to an unknown entity over which I have no control."

It's a frickin' answering service, Jackie, not me.  If that were the case, you'd have a point.

Magisterial District Judge Doug Schlegel, who has spent most of his time in office on sick leave, also said No. "1. My cell phone is a private number.  2. I don't want to be bothered when on Night Duty (which is tough enough) by the press. 3. The press can access during office hours."

Doug, how the hell would you know how tough night duty is when you're always calling off sick?

Magisterial District Judge Rick Yetter gets the prize as biggest idiot in his response. He treats the request to supply his cell phone number as a motion from some poor litigant and enters a sarcastic court order. "Denied. I will not be woken up by the press during hours I can be sleeping. I was the  MDJ Assoc. President when our association and myself [sic] worked diligently with law enforcement, central booking, and then [sic] President Judge Baratta to firm up this night time [sic] schedule. You do not have my permission to share my cell phone number."

Instead of sharing his cell phone, Yetter should have been asked to lend his car. That went on a badass demolition derby on Superbowl Sunday.

Here's a point that apparently has eluded our corps of mini-judges. The President Judge is the boss, not them. It's his job to supervise the little fiefdoms run by our squires to ensure they comply with the statewide Rules of Criminal Procedure, statutes and little things like the Pennsylvania Constitution.

So guess what has happened?

President Judge Koury last week entered an Administrative Order providing as follows:

1) The night duty judge is going to be handed a cell phone to be used exclusively for calls related to night duty. When his time is up, he has to make sure the next judge up gets it.

2) Any member of the public (not just the press) can call a judge on night duty to request records that happen to be in his possession, and they must be supplied within three hours.

In addition, he has advised that "[a]ny defiance of the order will result in an immediate referral to the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board and/or the Pennsylvania Supreme Court."

At one time, President Judge Koury was himself a Magisterial District Judge. There was no free Internet, no fax machine and no arraignments from the comfort of your home. Police could contact him at any time, even between 11 pm and 7 am. On one day, he was required to leave home and report to his office 14 times over 24 hours.

The mini-judges picked a fight with the wrong person.

Don't Touch Your Damn Face

Trump Predicts He Will Win in Pennsylvania

"The people in Pennsylvania, they're very happy with the job ... You know, it was 30 years since a Republican won Pennsylvania, and based on results, I think we'll win it again very easily."

NorCo Meeting Videos Finally Being Posted on YouTube

Northampton County's meeting videos are finally being published on Youtube. Previously meetings were available online, but only on Windows-based programs. Even with Windows, it was necessary to download a separate program called Silverlight.

After a year of broken promises, Council President Ron Heckman's motherboard short-circuited and the usually affable Councilman made clear to Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron that the IT department, which reports to Barron, needed to fix the problem.

"Not everybody still has Commodore computers," he complained. "It's not for you to explain how they (IT) can't do things. It's for them to explain how they're going to get the thing fixed so people can watch this stuff. I don't need the google-dee-doc about the whole Bill Gates discussion. Fix the thing so somebody can go on a computer and watch it. No more excuses."

Northampton County's IT department is outsourced to Vision Technologies, a Maryland-based company. It has a contract that could cost taxpayers up to $33 million over the next 13 years.

Northampton County's YouTube channel is located here.

Don't Count Bernie Out!

Politico has written Bernie Sanders' political obituary, and is predicting he'll be finished off in Michigan next week. He may lose this battleground state, even though he won it in 2016. But this by no means indicates his "revolution" has fizzled. The primary reason for this is Joe Biden. I love the guy, but he has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth every time he opens it. This is not the result of old age, he's always been gaffe-prone. By the by, what the hell is a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier"?

Josh Fulmer is a Star!

Josh Fulmer, the attorney who confronted an ICE agent on Monday, is a YouTube star! The video of his spat has attracted over 13,000 views thus far on YouTube.  On his Facebook page, it's pushing 30,000. Of course, there are boatloads of negative comments, but all press is good press.

According to court records, his client (Franklin Leonar Urrutia-Cordon) is now a guest at York County's prison, which has a deal with the feds to hold undocumented immigrants.

His trial has been rescheduled for April 6.

Will Pa. Counties Have a Complete Count Election Night?

Under recent changes to the Election Code, voters now have until one week before the election (April 21) in which to apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot. Then they have until 8 pm on Election Day (April 28) to return them. Elections officials are unable to open and scan these ballots until 8 pm. Though scanning should be easy, it will be an ordeal to open two envelopes and then unfold the ballot for the scanner. Voter Registrar Amy Cozze told me yesterday that her office has already received close to 2,000 applications. Statewide, there are 20,000, according to The Courier Times. There will be more. Lots more. And this is just the primary. In the 2012 Presidential, Northampton County elections officials processed 6,008 absentee ballots in the general election. In 2016, there were 6,610. This year, no one really knows how many will choose to vote by mail. Estimates are that there will be at least 15,000 no-excuse absentee ballots this year, with the number growing each year. But can they all be counted on Election Day?

According to The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, this is a question elections officials themselves are asking. It argues that officials should be able to start the count sooner.

Bethlehem's Marijuana Ordinance Rarely Used by Police (Updated)

Last night, Bethlehem's "Committee of Public Safety" had a meeting  at Town Hall. The sole item on the agenda was a progress report about whether the City's marijuana ordinance, as opposed to state law, is being used. The City ordinance makes possession of a small amount of marijuana a summary offense, while state law makes it a misdemeanor. Chief Mark DiLuzio noted that in the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem, officers must follow the state law in accordance with Lehigh County DA Jim Martin's instructions. To be consistent, many officers feel they should use the state law on the Northampton County side of Monocacy Creek as well. Doing otherwise would open them up to charges of bias and racism. He argued that officers should have the discretion to decide for themselves whether to use the state law or city ordinance. He added that marijuana possession "should be decriminalized by the state. What you're doing is creating a problem."

DiLuzio's leadership was called into question by Council members Willie Reynolds and Paige Van Wirt. "We're not waiting for Harrisburg because we believe in local power," asserted Van Wirt. She called what's happening "unequal justice." Basically, Council members want the Chief to force officers to charge under the ordinance, something the Chief is unwilling to do. "You have to let them use their discretion," he argued. He said Council should trust officers. "I stand behind them 100%."

DiLuzio pointed out that if Bethlehem was wholly within one county, this would be no issue.

Police respond to 189 emergency calls a day.

Newcomer Grace Crampsie Smith suggested that officers should be made aware that being charged with possession under state law can have adverse consequences to a student trying to get into college.

During the period between July 2018 (date of enactment of Bethlehem's marijuana ordinance) and January 2020, Bethlehem police charged 289 people with possession of a small amount of marijuana. Only 19 were charged under the city ordinance.

Forty-three percent of these charges were filed against South Side residents.

Under the state statute, charges were filed against 76 whites, 71 blacks, 121 Hispanics and 2 "others." The local ordinance was filed against 5 whites, 4 blacks and 10 Hispanics.

The FOP was invited to yesterday's meeting, but declined to come. I believe this police union made the right call by refusing to appear in front of Council. I get very leery when local officials begin telling cops which laws they want enforced. If cops listen, it's only a matter of times before local officials begin instructing them not to charge this or that friend with other crimes. From there, corruption is inevitable. Van Wirt believes in "local power," but when it comes to criminal law, that can be dangerous.

(Originally posted 12:00 am)

Amy Klobuchar on FDR

“There’s an old story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and when he died, his body was put on a train and went up across America, and there was a guy standing by those tracks along with so many Americans, and he had his hat on his chest and he was sobbing, and a reporter said, ‘Sir, did you know the president?’ And the guy says, ‘No, I didn’t know the president, but he knew me. He knew me.’ I will tell you this, there is a complete lack of empathy in this guy in the White House right now. I will bring that to you.”

I'm a Stinker

If  you go after a skunk, you better be ready to stink. I posted stories on several controversial topics yesterday, and I've been sprayed. But some of the criticism is entirely justified.

A current Bangor Area High School student took me to task over my story about the high school's suspended band director. Here's what he told me:

"I read your posting guidelines and had to delete several vulgarities before commenting that I had hot-headly typed. The fact that you are banning vulgarities is funny to me, which most people use in everyday language, because I find most of the baseless attacks in people's comments far more damaging then fowl language. Your original comments did not upset me, but I'm disappointed that you're allowing a people to public tear down, defame, and ruin a currently innocent man. As a public writer and man yourself I find your moderation of this situation very poor and lacking. Below I've listed just some of the damaging comments that you so irresponsibly platformed. This email might not change your mind or spur any action on your part, but being a student and having to explain this to you I'm extremely sorry."

This is a valid criticism, and I went back to that story and deleted some of the more cRaZy comments. I can be a shitty moderator.

I was also hammered for my stories about the ICE agent, but that kind of flak just tells me I'm over the target.

NorCo Exec Bans Ice Arrests at Courthouse Without Warrant Provided to Jail AND Sheriff

Yesterday, an out-of uniform ICE officer, clad in jeans and a "Pro God Pro Gun Protected" T-shirt, conducted a warrantless arrest of an undocumented immigrant inside the courthouse. It made no difference that this person was married to an American citizen, gainfully employed and a licensed driver who has paid his taxes for the past 10 years. It made no difference that he was just inches away from getting his green card. He was carted away in handcuffs, destination unknown.

In reaction to what happened, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure has just issued an Executive Order banning ICE arrests of criminal defendants within Northampton County unless a warrant is first provided to the Sheriff and Jail. "“Executive Order 20-28 balances the legitimate needs of the Federal Government to enforce our national immigration laws while providing the basic protections of due process that all human beings are owed in the United States,” explained McClure.

NorCo Exec Bans ICE Arrest Unless Warrant Provided to Sheriff and Jail by Bernie O'Hare on Scribd

Out-of-Uniform ICE Agent Makes Warrantless Arrest at NorCo Courthouse

There's a difference between the name Bernard V. O'Hare III and Franklin Leonar Urrutia-Cordon. When officialdom sees my name, it knows right off the bat that it's dealing with a cRaZy Irish bastard, and would do well to tread lightly. But when it sees that other name, a Latino name, our enlightened establishment can be downright abusive. That difference in names is precisely why Urrutia-Cordon is being held by ICE in some undisclosed location right now, instead of walking the streets as a free man. Let me tell you the story.

In August 2017, Urrutia-Cordon was stopped by Pennsylvania State Police and charged with drunk driving. His BAC was 0.12. It was his first ever offense, so he applied for ARD, a special program for first offenders in which charges are dismissed after a period of probation. The ARD application contained no questions asking about citizenship. Urrutia-Cordon went through ARD screening, and was cleared to appear in ARD court in April 2018. He was identified as a "no problem" drinker. He paid his ARD costs, a hefty $2,255.75, and was ready to be part of the cattle call.

In the meantime, he had to be arraigned as well. That's a formality in which you are officially informed that you've been charged with a crime. That's usually a cattle call, too.

On that fateful day, while Urrutia-Cordon was waiting for his arraignment, Assistant DA Sandra McClure decided for some reason to pull his file. After looking through it, she approached him and asked him if he is a US citizen. This is a question she would not dare ask Bernard V. O'Hare III, but she asked it of a guy with a Spanish-sounding name. When he answered that he is not yet a US citizen, she told him his application for ARD would be denied. And sure enough, just a few days later, he received a letter from then DA John Morganelli denying ARD.

Though Urrutia-Cordon is an undocumented immigrant, he has filed an application seeking lawful status. His application has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security, and after an interview and fingerprinting, he will be issued his "green card." After being a lawful permanent resident for two years, he can apply for citizenship.

In addition to making an effort to become legal, he has been gainfully employed and has paid taxes over the past ten years. He is married to a US citizen and also has a valid driver's license.

So Attorney Josh Fulmer, who represents Urrutia-Cordon, asked Morganelli to reconsider his denial on multiple occasions. He included all kinds of recommendations.  Morganelli, hardass that he is, refused to reconsider

At this point, Fulmer filed a motion asking the Court to compel Urrutia-Cordon's admission into the ARD program on the basis that DA John Morganelli's denial was an abuse of discretion. That's pretty much a vain exercise, and Judge Samuel P Murray denied Fulmer's application in December.

In the meantime, this case has stretched on for several years, and everyone was anxious to resolve it. On Friday, DA Terry Hock offered a deal you can't refuse - Urrutia-Cordon would plead guilty to general impairment and would have no jail time and no license suspension. If he went to trial and was convicted, he would spend two days in jail, and Fulmer was warned the jail would notify ICE. This plea to general impairment had the added benefit of presenting no problem with Urrutia-Cordon's application for lawful status.

Urrutia-Cordon was scheduled to make his plea on Monday. As Josh Fulmer and his client made their way to Judge Murray's courtroom, Fulmer noticed Northampton County Detective Gerry Walsh standing in the hallway with a fellow clad in jeans and a "Pro God Pro Gun Protected" T-shirt. Fulmer got suspicious and began asking questions, and was eventually told they were there to arrest his client and cart him off because he's in this country illegally. Never mind that he works, pays taxes, is married to a US citizen and is inches away from getting his green card.

So when Fulmer walked into Judge Murray's courtroom, he announced the deal was off. He now wanted a trial, but the Commonwealth had no witnesses. So dismiss the case, argued Fulmer. A continuance was granted.

Obviously, someone tipped off ICE to come and pick up this Defendant. They perverted the criminal system for a civil matter.

Fulmer walked out into the hallway with his client, who was arrested by an out-of uniform ICE agent with no warrant (He claimed he left it in his illegally parked car). You can see the unpleasant exchange above.

This is a disgraceful abuse of our criminal justice system. Even the prosecuting attorneys were sucker-punched. What this does is make it far less likely that undocumented immigrants will participate in the criminal justice system in any capacity, including as victims.

ICE has issued a directive to its own agents advising them to avoid enforcement actions inside of a courthouse unless they are dealing with a gang member, public safety threats or aliens who have already been ordered out. This was the opposite - a first time offender who was already approved.

According to a report by Temple University Law School’s Sheller Center for Social Justice, 13 Pennsylvania counties are coordinating arrests at the courthouse with ICE. They are using the criminal justice system for civil immigration enforcement. Here's what's happening: "(1) ICE is effecting arrests in and around courthouses; (2) courthouse personnel are collaborating with ICE 0by asking about immigration status, providing information, or assisting with ICE arrests; and (3) immigrants fear going to court because of these ICE enforcement activities."

Courthouse arrests effectively deny access to the courts to a segment of the population that needs it most.

"Police officers surveyed reported that crimes are becoming more difficult to investigate. Among police officer respondents, 69% said domestic violence was harder to investigate in 2017 compared to 2016 (with similar percentages for investigations of human trafficking (64%) and sexual assault (59%)). Judges too reported an increase in disruption of court cases due to immigrant victims being afraid to come to court. Legal services and victim advocates reported that their offices had filed 40% fewer cases for immigrants in 2017 than in 2016."

Nationwide, 70 former judges have asked ICE to stop courthouse arrests. “Judges simply cannot do their jobs—and our justice system cannot function effectively—if victims, defendants, witnesses and family members do not feel secure in accessing the courthouse,” they wrote.

The two words inscribed on Northampton County's seal are "justice" and "mercy." They appear in every courtroom. But I see no evidence of these traits in what happened on Monday to Franklin Leonar Urrutia-Cordon. If his name were Bernard V. O'Hare, he'd be a free man.

Bangor's Band Director Suspended Pending Investigation

Eric Hahn, Band Director at Bangor Area High School, has been suspended with pay pending an investigation into some of his recent behavior. Since 2010, he has directed the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Pep Band and Pit Orchestra. He has both a bachelor's and master's degree in music from Penn State, and holds an Instructional II Certification in Music Education from Pa.'s Department of Education. Since being named Band Director, Bangor Area School District has been named a Best Community for Music Education (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) for five of the past six years.

During a recent school trip by the regional band, Hahn is alleged to have visited a student's hotel room to share pizza with three female band members and a female alumnus who currently is a student at Kutztown University. There is no allegation that he engaged in any inappropriate behavior, but this kind of fraternization during a school trip is supposedly a violation of school district policy.

Hahn is considered a mentor to one of the female students with whom he shared pizza. While his behavior might be nothing more than an innocent mistake in judgment, I believe this investigation is appropriate.

Pennsylvania's Department of Education's Professional Standards and Practices Commission prohibits teachers from sexually harassing or engaging in sexual relationships with students, but this is inadequate to stop grooming. Many school districts now also bar teachers from entertaining, socializing or spending extra time with students so they don't forge an unprofessional relationship.

Poor Sportsmanship in Youth Sports

I suppose I'm lucky. My grandson, who loves basketball, has been playing that and other sports since he was five. I still remember the first team on which he played in South Allentown. Parents would picnic there all day as their sons and daughters played. Everyone would eat, talk, joke around and play chess. This is where I first met Chuck Rockmore and his sons. It's where I met Toomey Anderson, now known as the Dean of Awesome. When I noticed how much work he put into it, I once asked Toomey, "Why do you do this?" His answer. "We do it for the love." My grandson learned much more than the fundamentals from these and other mentors who would later include class acts like Emil Giordano, Marc Corsi, Mike Frew, Craig Golden and Dennis Csentsis. They taught their charges to be humble in victory, yet gracious in defeat.

Unfortunately, there are those who fail. In youth sports, basketball courts and other playing venues are actually classrooms in which good sportsmanship is taught. In fact, this is part of the pre-game prayer before every Allentown Central Catholic basketball game. Athletes and (most) coaches get it, but some students and parents can be downright ugly. That's what happened following a recent basketball tournament outside Wilson Area High School. It also happened during a recent hockey play-off game between between Parkland and Northampton Area High School. One of Northampton's players is a junior named Alyssa, and was taunted during the game because she's a she.

Here's what her aunt, Donna Bloss, posted on Facebook:

So here it is… My first serious rant on social media.

Those of you that know me, know that I generally do not do a lot with social media, or in my case, Facebook, which is the only thing I even play with. When I do post, it’s generally something lighthearted and simple. Not this time!

My niece Alyssa, is a junior at Northampton High School. This tiny little thing is an amazing hockey player. And I’m not talking field hockey… I mean ice hockey. She plays for the Philadelphia Jr Flyers team that travels everywhere and is ranked sixth in the country.  She also plays for her high school varsity team where she is loved and respected by her team and flies around her opponents like a little gnat on the ice.

This past week Northampton was in the championship playoffs with their arch rivals Parkland High School. The level of unsportsmanlike conduct during these several championship games was mine boggling. I’ve toyed with whether or not to even put this out there for fear of upsetting my niece even further but she knows this was done out of sheer jealousy. They couldn’t go after her personality… She rocks. They couldn’t go after her skill… She kills it in the games. So this is what we’re left with. The Parkland fans stooping to an all time low. So now I have something to say to each of you…

TO THE PARKLAND COACHES:
Congratulations on taking the championship. WIN Is clearly the only message you convey to your players. Your heads are not in the sand (although I could probably tell you where they are) and we know you heard and saw things that you knew weren’t right and could’ve stopped. My brother‘s family was getting text messages from several people telling them that your team is walking around saying they’re gunning for Alyssa to hurt her. You had to know that that was their mindset. What makes it worse is the fact that you know this family. Your kids played with their kids when they were younger. You’re supposed to be role models for your team and instead were all about the “Win at all cost”. Shame on you!

TO THE PARKLAND TEAM:
I’m sorry… i’m sorry that you’re clearly upset that you have to play against a girl. I’m sorry that this girl could skate circles around you. I’m sorry that this girl is getting the attention of college scouts, and you’re not.  I’m sorry that you’re so threatened by this tiny little thing, who goes from skates and pads during the day to a dress and heels in the blink of an eye and looks fantastic! Congratulations and enjoy your trophy albeit tarnished from the ignorance of you and your fans.

TO THE PARKLAND FANS:
WOW! What a classy group you are. From the parent yelling “take her out“ to the group chanting “she has a penis“ and “35 you’re a dude“ to hanging this ridiculous sign. Competitive banter and egging each other on is all in the spirit of game. When a player on your, team twice her size, checks her extra hard into the wall and takes her down, she handles it like a pro. It’s rough but she gets back up knowing it’s part of the game. But personal attacks, bullying and borderline sexual harassment has no place in high school sports or anywhere for that matter. Have you people learned nothing??? And the principal of the high school knew about the sign. Another epic role model fail!

This concludes my rant. Please feel free to share this in hopes that it causes some conversations and awareness with regards to being kind to one another. She still has her senior year to go and hopefully next year will be a different story.

I am sorry for this bad experience. I'm certainly no Parkland fan, and would only point out that a hockey rink is a classroom for good sportsmanship, too. The failures are almost always insecure parents (from any school) or kids (from any school) who are still immature. My experience has been that Parkland fans and parents are mostly decent folks.

Superbowl Sunday Smash Up at "Safety" First

As regular readers of this blog know, I had no trouble exposing Washington Tp Police Chief Scott Miller his over one-vehicle crash on January 6 at Michael Drosnock's home along Kessersville Rd in Plainfield Township. Last week, I began hearing even more disturbing rumors. This time it involved a magisterial district judge, Rich Yetter. Some say he was involved in four separate hit-and-runs after a night of drinking on Superbowl Sunday at the Safety First Fire Company in West Easton. Others were saying that he himself was not driving, but was a passenger in his Ford Excursion, which plowed into several vehicles. Neither of these rumors is true. So what exactly happened?

I have spoken to Wes Beers, Jr and Sr. They own two of the three vehicles hit. Wes Jr.'s daughter Jayde owns a a third vehicle. Their cars were in their driveway located next to the Safety First parking lot. Jayde actually witnessed what happened. Her story is corroborated by surveillance video maintained by the beers.

What Jayde witnessed is a big SUV making a big circular turn in the Safety First parking lot, after which it jumped a curb and hit the vehicles owned by her father and grandfather. Then it backed up over the curb and hit Jayde's car.

Wes, Jr and Jayde say the damage to their cars was minor. But the damage to Wes, Sr.'s car was substantial:

The rear quarter panel will have to be replaced.

After this, the SUV left the parking lot and headed south on Keystone Avenue. Unbeknownst to the Beers, the SUV slammed into a fourth vehicle parked along Keystone.

This vehicle had just been purchased, and was declared a total loss.

The Beers, who are members at Safety First, went into the club to find out who had just left. A bartender gave them the name, Craig Sprague, which was gleaned from his credit card receipt.

This information was relayed to Pennsylvania State Police, and troopers confronted Sprague, at his home, shortly after midnight. Sprague acknowledged he had been at Safety First with Shawn Hockman. He was the sole passenger in the SUV, which was being driven by Hockman. Sprague was unable to recall whether any vehicles were hit in the Safety First parking lot, but did remember that Hockman hit a red truck parked on Keystone.

After this, and it is now around 3 am, troopers confronted Shawn Hockman at his home. He said he had borrowed Magisterial District Judge Rick Yetter's Ford Excursion because his own vehicle was in the shop. He admitted he had been at Safety First with Sprague, and had driven him home. He said he was unaware he had hit anything.

Troopers looked at the Ford Excursion, which was parked at the rear of Hockman's property. They observed fresh damage along the front left and red paint chips in the damaged area. They also noted that the tire patterns on the Excursion matched the tire patterns detected in the mud at Safety First parking lot.

You can read the troopers' report here.

Hockman has been charged with one count of leaving the scene of an accident without making an effort to locate the owner or provide proof of insurance. This is a summary offense carrying a  maximum fine of $300 or 90 days in jail.

I question why troopers failed to file at least two counts since there was substantial damage to Wes Bees, Sr. More importantly, I question why Hockman was not requested to submit to a blood test. He was clearly intoxicated, and should have been charged.

On Friday, I spoke with Magisterial District Judge Rich Yetter. He was deeply embarrassed by the matter and aware of the rumors. He told me that he had lent his Ford Excursion to a friend whose car was in the shop. He said it's something he's done before. He said his parents told him, from age 17, never to lend his car to anyone. But Hockman was a close friend. He and Sprague both coached PeeWee football with him. Now he is in danger of being dropped by his insurance company, and rumors are circulating.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Ironically, the charges against Hockman have been filed with Yetter. But he told me he is recusing himself and has already requested the matter be assigned to someone else.

I also reached out to Shawn Hockman, the driver. This is what he told me, via text message:

I went to see a lawyer a couple weeks ago after this incident happened. After we exchanged messages yesterday, I was able to talk to my lawyer and he said that I really can't talk about this incident because whatever you report in your blog could be used against me in court and i haven't even got my charges yet.
But because you reached out to me I feel like I should at least give you the courtesy of some type of response because I feel terrible for the position I put my friend in.
I borrowed Rick's truck to drive back and forth from work while my Jeep was getting worked on in the shop. I'm incredibly embarrassed and sorry for what happened and the position that I put Rick in as a public figure. He didn't want to talk to me the day after but we exchanged text messages about what had happened. I text him that I was extremely sorry and that I knew I put him in a bad position because he is a judge. His response text was something along the lines of ... the hell with that, somebody could've been hurt.
This made me feel even worse.
And now my friend is in an embarrassing situation and his truck is wrecked. I feel terrible.
long story short, I've been in counseling for the past three weeks.

I hope that includes alcohol counseling.

S Carolina Turnout Good News For Dems, Bad News For Trump

Although it's certainly important to know who wins in a Presidential primary, the media has done a pretty shitty job of reporting the actual turnout, and how it compares to previous races. That's an important gauge of voter interest, and one that Democrat Rahm Emanuel considers a flashing yellow light. Based on South Carolina's turnout, I'd say that light is green.

In 2008, when Barack Obama handily defeated both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, there were a record 532,000 votes. In 2016, when Hillary hammered Bernie, the turnout was 370,000. Thus, I would want to see a turnout somewhere between 370,000 and 532,000.

Turnout on Saturday was 529,505, according to South Carolina's Elections Comm'n. 

ExpressVote Voting System Vindicated in South Carolina

Northampton County officials were paying close attention to the Presidential primary in South Carolina on Saturday. Their interest had nothing to do with the election itself. They were instead concerned about the ExpressVote system being used in South Carolina for the first time. This ballot marking device is very similar to Northampton County's ExpressVote XL, which had a disastrous debut last November. The County has been assured these problems were an anomaly, but is that true? Based on what happened in the Palmetto State, it appears the ExpressVote system will be fine.

There were problems getting some of the computers turned on in South Carolina, apparently because pollworkers were entering the wrong password. That problem was corrected pretty quickly. The State details what appears to be mostly minor issues with the new system. NPR also reports that "[a]s of midafternoon, primary voting throughout South Carolina appeared to be proceeding without any serious problems. There were no reports of major machine malfunctions or of other disruptions as Democrats cast ballots in about 2,300 precincts."

Covid-19 Q&A

Donald Trump, Democrats and pundits are using their pulpits to attack each other instead of inform you concerning Covid-19.  The most reliable sources of information I've found are the CDC website and World Health Organization. You are welcome to add LINKS to factual information in the comments. Attempts at politics will be deleted.

Here's are some questions answered by WHO

1) Are hand dryers effective in killing the new coronavirus? - No. Hand dryers are not effective in killing the 2019-nCoV. To protect yourself against the new coronavirus, you should frequently clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Once your hands are cleaned, you should dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.

2) Can an ultraviolet disinfection lamp kill the new coronavirus? - UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation.

3) How effective are thermal scanners in detecting people infected with the new coronavirus? - Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever (i.e. have a higher than normal body temperature) because of infection with the new coronavirus.

However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever. This is because it takes between 2 and 10 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever.

4) Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus? - No. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations.

5) Is it safe to receive a letter or a package from China? - Yes, it is safe. People receiving packages from China are not at risk of contracting the new coronavirus. From previous analysis, we know coronaviruses do not survive long on objects, such as letters or packages.

6) Can pets at home spread the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV)? - At present, there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus. However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after contact with pets. This protects you against various common bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella that can pass between pets and humans.

7) Do vaccines against pneumonia protect you against the new coronavirus? - No. Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus.

The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against 2019-nCoV, and WHO is supporting their efforts.

Although these vaccines are not effective against 2019-nCoV, vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health.

8) Can regularly rinsing your nose with saline help prevent infection with the new coronavirus? - 
No. There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus.

There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. However, regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections.

9) Can eating garlic help prevent infection with the new coronavirus? - Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.

10) Does putting on sesame oil block the new coronavirus from entering the body? - No. Sesame oil does not kill the new coronavirus. There are some chemical disinfectants that can kill the 2019-nCoV on surfaces. These include bleach/chlorine-based disinfectants, either solvents, 75% ethanol, peracetic acid and chloroform.

However, they have little or no impact on the virus if you put them on the skin or under your nose. It can even be dangerous to put these chemicals on your skin.

11) Does the new coronavirus affect older people, or are younger people also susceptible? - People of all ages can be infected by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.

WHO advises people of all ages to take steps to protect themselves from the virus, for example by following good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene.

12) Are antibiotics effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus? - No, antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria.

The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment.

However, if you are hospitalized for the 2019-nCoV, you may receive antibiotics because bacterial co-infection is possible.

13) Are there any specific medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus? - To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation, and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and development efforts with a range or partners.

Negron, Van Wirt Oppose Bill To Eliminate Wage Disparity in Bethlehem

As hard as this might be, I actually feel sorry for Bethlehem City Council member Bryan Callahan. He recently introduced an ordinance aimed at eliminating the wage disparity we all know exists between men and women. You'd think Olga Negron (Mayor Dumbass) and Paige Van Wirt (call me Doctor), two of Bethlehem's three female Council members, would jump all over this. They both no doubt have experienced the gender pay gap. They and Callahan are the three members of Council's Human Resources Committee. But amazingly, they voted on Tuesday to delay Callahan's bill. Not just that. They jumped all over Callahan, too. Negron told Callahan to "shut up" while Van Wirt insisted she be addressed as "Doctor." After the meeting, when she thought the mike was off, Van Wirt pointed at Callahan and threatened, "Don't bring up my business." Negron and Van Wirt might claim to be champions of women's rights, their actions tell a different story. They would rather hurt Callahan than help women. This is classic bad government. I expect this from Negron, but Van Wirt's behavior is very disappointing

Without question, wage disparity exists. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently summarized the data in a February 6 opinion upholding Philadelphia's Wage Equality Ordinance:

According to the 2015 census, women in Pennsylvania earn 79 cents for every dollar earned by similarly situated men. For women of color, the wage gap is even more profound. Black women earn 68 cents for every dollar paid to similarly situated men, and Latina women earn 56 cents for every dollar paid to similarly situated men. The gap begins for women as soon as they enter the workforce. In just the first year after college, fulltime working women earn, on average, just 82% of what their male peers earn. Overall, women under the age of 35 earn 88-91% of what their male peers earn. Rather than improve, as women gain experience in the work force the situation gets worse. Women aged 35 and over earn only 77-81% of what male peers earn.

Callahan's legislation addresses this gender pay gap by banning employers from asking job applicants to disclose their wage history. The law would become effective one year after enactment to give businesses time to become familiar with the change. After that, a boss who asks for a wage history could get hit with a fine of up to $1,000 in a private action. The City's Human Relations Commission lacks the resources to enforce this law, so it would be up to the victim. 

This proposed wage history ban is similar to the law recently upheld in Philly. In Pennsylvania, state agencies are banned from asking an applicant to reveal his or her job history. In Pittsburgh, city officials are barred from asking a job seeker to disclose prior salaries.

Throughout the country, there are 17 state-wide and 20 local salary history bans.

"And we're Bethlehem," responded VanWirt when Callahan attempted to point out that salary history bans are being implemented throughout the country.

During the hearing, Van Wirt noted that Callahan had called her and promised he would even support Olga Negron as Council President if they would only support this legislation. She told him then that she had unspecified "concerns."  She instructed Callahan that it was his job to reach out to the women on Council to come up with a workable ordinance.

"The time to do this was before this committee meeting," she declared.

In other words, behind closed doors in violation of the state Sunshine Act. The people's business, with very limited exceptions, should always be discussed openly.

"Miss Van Wirt," began Callahan.

"Dr. Van Wirt," snapped Van Wirt.

"Councilwoman Van Wirt," continued Callahan. "In here you're a Councilwoman."

"Councilwoman or Doctor will be fine, thank you."

She didn't spend six years in evil medical school to be called Miss, thank you very much.

Negron complained, perhaps rightly, that the onus for enforcement is on the job applicant. Van Wirt said an employment lawyer would cost $5,000.

That's just nutz.

Solicitor Jack Spirk said that perhaps the fine could be directed at attorney fees.

Neither Van Wirt nor Negron was willing to offer amendments to make the ordinance more workable. They both voted to postpone the matter and also made clear they are unwilling to offer future amendments.

A baffled Callahan pointed out they both had known about the hearing at least a month in advance.

"If you want to respect the women in the City, start with your two colleagues here," snapped Negron, referring to herself and VanWirt. Negron conveniently ignored a third female member of City Council, Grace Crampsie Smith, even though she was present and happens to support a wage history ban in some form.

"Please respect what we're trying to tell you and don't keep on talking down to us," continued Negron.

Callahan tried to respond, but Negron began waving her arms and shouted, "No you listen to me. ... You have to shut up, OK? respect us."

Bethlehem Gadfly has previously lauded Negron for "her willingness to work with others, her ability to change her mind — a trait not so noticeable in elected officials — her honesty, and her persistence."

Her antics at this meeting reveal the real Olga.

At some point toward the end of the meeting, Callahan wondered (perhaps not so innocently) whether Van Wirt's intransigence might be related to the fact that she has a business in Bethlehem. When she thought the meeting had ended, she stuck her finger at Callahan and threatened, "Don't bring up my business."

I thought it was a profession.

Doctor Van Wirt's behavior at this meeting was both unprofessional and hurts women. But she's a doctor.

(Blogger's Note: The County has no power to impose a wage history ban. I question whether a city government has this authority. )

Wash Your Damn Hands Already

You can find out everything you want to know about Covid-19, the latest coronavirus, at the CDC website. Well, almost everything. I have no idea whether it comes from bats, armadillos or some secret Chinese bio lab. It obviously spreads pretty efficiently and is likely headed this way. It appears to be similar to the flu, except it is caused by a different virus.

This should be a public health, issue, not some political game.